Opening of the Academic Year 2026–2027

During the New Students' Evening, there will be several different info desks set up in the main building's lobby area, which you are free to explore between 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. At the info desks, you will find the following organizations:

• JYY
  JYY (The Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä) is a student community that offers you support and assistance in your everyday life and studies through various services, ranging from housing to student events and advocacy. At JYY, we are here for you, ensuring that you get to enjoy the best student life in Jyväskylä.
   
• Soihtu 
  Soihtu offers affordable and communal student housing in Jyväskylä. All housing locations of Soihtu are known for their services included in the rent and a strong sense of community. Soihtu is the business unit of the Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä JYY, meaning it is student-owned and primarily rents homes to students.
   
• Koas
  Koas (The Central Finland Student Housing Foundation) provides affordable and comfortable rental apartments for students in Jyväskylä. The foundation owns over 100 properties and nearly 4,000 apartments across the city.
   
• University of Jyväskylä
  It was here, in 1863, that Finnish­-language teacher education began. Since then, the dialogue between research, education and society has been our driving force.
   

• Researchers' Night
  Researchers' Night is an annual science event where researchers from all over Europe open their doors to anyone who is hungry for knowledge, from babies to grandparents. On Researchers' Night on September 26, 2025, at the campuses of universities in Jyväskylä, Oulu, Helsinki, and Hämeenlinna, you can enjoy science by experimenting, listening, and marveling. 
   

  The rest of the desk holders will be announced in August. 

The history of the Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä, or JYY, is naturally intertwined with the history of the university itself. Throughout its existence, JYY has played a significant role as a developer. The most notable projects have been the Ilokivi student building, completed in 1964–65 and still housing JYY’s office today, and the Kortepohja Student Village, construction of which began in 1968 and continues to this day.

JYY organizes events during the opening of the academic year. The program is free of charge and open to all members of the university community.

Tuesday, 1 September 2025
5:00-9:00 p.m. | Ilokivi Venue
Speed Friending with Coffee and Tea

Come meet new people at JYY’s Speed Friending event on Tuesday, September 1, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Ilokivi Venue! Speed Friending is organized like a game of bingo, so it’s okay if you can’t make it right at the start of the event. Speed friending is bilingual (Finnish and English), and you can decide for yourself which language you’d like to use to meet new people. JYY will provide coffee, tea, and juice for participants.

The event is free of charge. No pre-registration required. 
Ilokivi Venue is an accessible venue. More information via this link.

The event adheres to JYY’s Safer Space principles. By participating in the event, you agree to follow these principles. A trusted person will also be present at the event; you can recognize them by their JYY gray hoodie/sweatshirt and trusted person pin. You can easily reach out to the trusted person if you experience harassment or feel that the principles of a safer space have been violated.

Wednesday, 2 September 2026
5:00-9:00 p.m. | Ilokivi Venue
Hobby Fair

At the Hobby Fair, you can learn about the clubs and hobby organizations active within JYY and JAMKO. At the fair, both new and returning students can browse the tables and discover a wide variety of new hobbies. The event will also showcase JYY’s event line-up, which includes Ilokivi Game Night gaming evenings and various film events.

The event is free of charge. No pre-registration required. 
Ilokivi Venue is an accessible venue. More information via this link.

The event adheres to JYY’s Safer Space principles. By participating in the event, you agree to follow these principles. A trusted person will also be present at the event; you can recognize them by their JYY gray hoodie/sweatshirt and trusted person pin. You can easily reach out to the trusted person if you experience harassment or feel that the principles of a safer space have been violated.

Wednesday, 2 September 2026
5:00-10:00 p.m. | Rentukka
Village Evening at Rentukka

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the Kortepohja Student Village. To celebrate, we invite everyone to a shared Village Evening at Rentukka. The program includes guided tours of the village, a glimpse into its history, and the popular pub quiz. 

The event is free of charge. No pre-registration required. 
Accessible entry to Rentukka’s restaurant is available via the elevator located in the lobby. The Village Tour is also accessible.
 

Parking on JYU campuses
The University of Jyväskylä uses the eParking app. To make parking in the University area easier, be sure you have the eParking app in use. If you are a JYU student or staff member, login to the application with your Haka credentials. Visitor parking follows the street parking prices in the area.

A parking session must be marked as started every time a car is parked, regardless of whether it concerns paid or free parking.

Read more about the parking and instructions for activating the eParking app here.

Event venues
The venues for the Opening of the Academic Year are the Main Buildings (C) Assembly Hall (C1-C2) and the Old Assembly Hall (S212) of the Seminarium (S). The opening ceremony coffee reception will be held in the Lähde library building (B). You can view venue on the campus map.

See the venue on the campus map here.
 

Accessible parking
Parking for people with disabilities is free of charge in all parking areas on JYU campuses provided that the vehicle has a parking card for people with reduced mobility. There is no need to use the eParking application for parking provided that the vehicle has a parking card for people with reduced mobility. In these cases, please use primarily a parking space marked with the wheelchair symbol. These spaces are usually close to the building’s main entrance.

Entrance to the event space: Main Buildings Assembly Hall
Guests using wheelchairs and other assistive devices can access the assembly hall by elevator, which is located on the 1st floor of the main building, near the cloakrooms. For any attending helpers with guests, there is seats reserved to the left of the assembly hall (when facing the stage in the hall), in the second (2) row. The guests to be assisted are requested to take places on the left side of the hall, close to the helpers. If needed, ask help for assistance getting to the assembly hall from the event staff or the building’s janitors.

Entrance to the event space: Seminarium Old Assembly Hall
Guests using wheelchairs or other assistive devices can access the building from the back of the building, along a ramp from the Building A- side. Entrance to the Old Assembly Hall is by elevator, which is located on the 1st floor, near the Science Museum. There are no reserved seats in the old assembly hall during the event, feel free to take place.

See more about the accessibility of premises here.

Other accessibility information
Induction loop will be in use during the events on the Main Building Assembly Hall. An induction loop system is available upon request in the Seminarium: please let the event organizers know if you needed. Sign language interpretation is also available by ordering the service in advance.

The accessible wc is located in the main building on the first floor, near the elevator and cloakroom. In the Seminarium, the The accessible wc is located on the first floor, to the right from the lift and through the hall to the left, on the left at the end of the corridor.

A smoke-free and fragrance-free campus
Our University is a smoke-free and fragrance-free study and workplace. Refraining from using fragranced products shows that we all care for your work and study community, and it is also better for our respiratory health. Please arrive at the event fragrance-free.

Other accessibility related considerations and questions can be submitted to the event organizer by email. Contact information can be found at the bottom of this page.

See more about the University’s equality and accessibility here.

Code of Conduct
Our university is a socially and culturally safe environment where harassment, inappropriate treatment, discrimination, or other inappropriate behaviour is not allowed.

Inappropriate treatment at the event
Inappropriate treatment is negative behaviour that cannot be considered to be good manners. Inappropriate treatment can include making offensive comments, social isolation, gossiping, slandering, embarrassing comments, yelling, saying inappropriate things, unwarranted criticism, threatening behavior, or unwarranted reminders of mistakes.

Harassment may be directed at a person, for example, due to their age, skin colour, opinions, beliefs, sexuality, or gender. Offensive behaviour can take place with words, actions, or attitudes. Insinuations, inappropriate expressions and gestures, inappropriate touching, inappropriate contacts and rude speech are harassment.

If you experience inappropriate treatment at the event, proceed as follows:
• If possible, tell the person that the behaviour bothers you and ask them to stop this type of behaviour. 
• If the inappropriate behaviour does not stop, or if you would prefer someone else to intervene, please seek out an event staff member or security staff. Event staff can be identified by their JYU STAFF badge.

If the matter continues to concern you, you may, for example, discuss what happened with:
-Your immediate supervisor
-Your unit’s HR partner or HR specialist
-Occupational Safety and Health Representatives
-Chief Shop Stewards

In addition, you can discuss the situation, for example, with the parties listed below:
• Goodies
• FSHS (YTHS)
• Student Union's harassment contact persons
•With your supervisor (university staff).
•With the event organizer

You don’t have to deal with this on your own. You can also contact MIELI ry and discuss what happened anonymously, either via chat or by phone.

Event safety
Safety is a shared responsibility for everyone in the university community. Every person attending an event can contribute to maintaining safety through their own choices and actions. If you notice any safety concerns or threats at the event, immediately contact the event security staff and the staff working at the event. If you notice an urgent emergency, always call 112 first.

If you notice any safety concerns in the event venue or during the event, proceed as follows:
•Assess what has happened or is happening, and report your observation to the event security or staff.
•If the situation is an urgent emergency, always call 112 first. Only then should you report your observation to other parties.

When exiting the Main Building, the nearest meeting point is located in the Oppio (O) parking lot, when exiting through the main doors toward the parking area. When exiting the Seminarium building, proceed to the same meeting point.

Depending on the situation, evacuation from the buildings will generally take place through theirs the main entrances, while also using other exits in the building. Always follow the instructions of event staff during evacuations.

See more about safety at the University of Jyväskylä here.